The Khalil Agha School, Egypt’s oldest specialized institute of Arabic calligraphy, is struggling to survive as fewer and fewer people are interested in learning calligraphy. Many calligraphy institutes have already closed their doors. “The numbers are decreasing every year due to the lack of available job opportunities, the rise of technology and the labor market […]
Month: January 2019
Algeria: Arab-Amazigh dispute over the use of the Arabic alphabet for Berber languages
Algeria’s Supreme Islamic Council, considered the country’s highest religious authority, has sparked national controversy over its attempt to enshrine Berber languages in Arabic letters. The Amazigh tribes, who have lobbied for their languages to be recognized as official, have expressed strong objection to their dialects being written in Arabic letters, saying they want Latin inscriptions […]